Short Summary

Former British Commonwealth Secretary Duncan Sandys, now a Tory Member of Parliament, held private talks with Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith on Thursday (15 April) following a visit to South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi.

Description

Former British Commonwealth Secretary Duncan Sandys, now a Tory Member of Parliament, held private talks with Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith on Thursday (15 April) following a visit to South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi.

The subject of the talks was not revealed by either side, but news agencies have speculated that they were connected with moves to end the Anglo-Rhodesian dispute over Rhodesia' declaration of independence in 1965.

Earlier in the day of his talks with Mr Smith, Mr Sandys, a guest of the giant Anglo-American mining Corporation, met with Rhodesian businessmen and the former Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Sir Roy Welensky.

SYNOPSIS: Former British Commonwealth Secretary Mr Duncan Sandys, now a British Tory Member of Parliament, paid a flying visit to the Rhodesian capital of Salisbury this week.

Among Rhodesians he met was former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Federal) Prime Minister Sir Roy Welensky, and old political opponent of Mr Sandys. Before his talks with Sir Roy, Mr Sandys met with Rhodesian businessmen. The subject of his meeting with Sir Roy, who has not been publicly involved in Rhodesian politics for the last five years, was no revealed.

Later on Thursday (April 15) morning Mr Sandys went to the office of Rhodesian Prime Minister Mr Ian Smith -- not far from his meeting place with Sir Roy -- for what was described as "a private meeting". Earlier in the week Mr Sandys, who in Rhodesia was the guest of the giant Anglo-American mining Corporation, had visited South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi. He flew from Malawi to Salisbury in a private aircraft owned by another mining company.

After his talk with Mr Smith, Mr Sandys would only tell waiting reporters: "I have had a pleasant talk with him". International news agencies speculated, however, that Mr. Sandys' southern African tour was connected with moves to end the Anglo-Rhodesian dispute which has continued since Rhodesia declared independence in 1965. But only the previously day, Mr Smith declared he no longer believed in the "five principles" laid down by a previous British Government as a condition of Rhodesia's legal independence. Those conditions include an end to racial discrimination in Rhodesia, and unimpeded progress towards majority rule. Formal negotiations between Britain and Rhodesia collapsed two years ago.